The common link established in the two chosen short stories is deceit. The Cactus by O. Henry showcases how deceit and pride are inimical to love. Second, The Umbrella man by Roald Dahl is a story of irony and deceptive appearance. The Cactus is written from a third person’s point of view. However the narrator is not detached from the happenings. Instead he delves in the mind of the central character- Trysdale. This enables us to understand his inner turmoil caused due to the losing over of his beloved to another man. The omniscient narrative brings out detailed descriptions of the character’s actions and surroundings and affects the tone and style of writing. The sentences are short and crisp. We can see a glimpse of O Henry’s distinctive tactic of including inferences coming from his study of human nature in this story. The meticulous use of sounds and imagery also adds extra sheen to the narrative. On the other hand The umbrella man is written from the first person’s point of view. The story is in a form of a recount of an incident coming from a 12 year old girl. This plays an important role in deciding the style of narration. Cleverly, Roald Dahl has kept the language as lucid as possible. The dialogues are of substantial importance. If the sentences were constructed using heavy words, the story would have been an utter failure as a twelve year old girl does not have an extensive vocabulary. The sentences are short and to the point. For example he describes the hurried